I now have an initial starting point for a Tire, an overall vehicle width and length, an engine, transmission, and differentials. The next step in my process is to build out the part of the suspension that is inside the wheel. Wheel Hub, Spindle, and Brakes.
I first considered using an existing spindle to avoid having to make one myself, but I think once I get to the step of designing the control arm mounting points, I am going to want more geometric flexibility than a pre-made spindle will give me.
For this reason, I am going to attempt to make my own modular spindle with removable mounting points for the upper and lower control arm mounts, steering arm, and brake mounting brackets.
I will start with picking an OEM hub. This is something I don’t want to design from scratch. My selection criteria for a wheel hub are
- Overall strength
- Mounting convenience
- Spline count and diameter
- Speed sensor
- Lug Pattern
- affordable OEM Big Brake availability
I want a hub that bolts to the spindle with a flange, so the wheel stays attached to the car if the axle breaks.
I want a strong hub that has provisions for a beefy spline through the center, a convenient mounting flange, a common lug pattern that comes from a car with an affordable oem 6 piston big brake option, and has an integrated speed sensor. And the plan is to run this same hub on all 4 corners.
After looking through some options, I found that the 2009-2013 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 rear wheel bearing had provisions for a large diameter 33 spline shaft, a convenient 4 bolt mounting flange, an integrated speed sensor with a pig tail connector, and a 5×4.75″ lug pattern that can accept the relatively affordable OEM Chevrolet C7 Corvette Z06 14.6″ 6 Piston Brembo Brake Kit
Disclaimer: I don’t know what i’m doing. But this site is a chronicle of my figuring it out. There is probably a better way to do what I have outlined here, and I will eventually make my way there eventually.
These posts will serve as a historical archive of long format information dumps of where my mind was at the time of writing, for refreshing my memory in the future and tracking my own progress.
I often learn by doing something wrong until I figure out how to do it less wrong. Readers should not take these posts as instructional. These are a record of what I did, not what should be done, and they are not meant to be used as how-to’s.
In short, You should not do what I do unless you love the pain of failure.